Vincenzo Natali’s creature feature Splice is on the verge of an impressive U.S. film rights pickup after its bow at Sundance.

Splice producer Steve Hoban of Copperheart Entertainment, reached at the festival on Tuesday, said he had been asked by the film’s international sales agent Gaumont not to talk about the pending U.S. rights deal.

But it is understood Apparition and Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group have acquired the sci-fi thriller’s U.S. theatrical and DVD rights for around US$2.5 million.

The $25 million Canada/France coproduction, which stars Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody, was largely financed by French executive producer Gaumont.

Natali penned the script for Splice with Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor.

Gaumont, which is selling Splice outside North America, has already sold the feature to a number of European territories.

Also at Sundance, Wild Bunch acquired the French and German rights to Los Angeles- and Vancouver-based Eli Craig’s Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, the horror send-up that was financed and shot in Canada.

Maple Pictures nabbed the Canadian rights to Craig’s debut feature, which like Splice unspooled in Sundance’s Midnight horror sidebar, from sales agent Voltage Pictures.

Also out of Sundance, Barry Meyerowitz’s Phase 4 Films picked up the U.S. theatrical rights and Canadian DVD rights to Brigitte Berman’s feature documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, which bowed at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Phase 4 acquired the Canadian rights from KinoSmith and the U.S. rights from Cinetic Media.